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Readers Helping Writers in Tough Times
How you can support authors for free via Goodreads
When funds are tight, buying new books is often considered a luxury rather than a necessity, even among the most avid readers. Free ebooks become more popular, and authors who can sell their titles online for very low prices might see increased sales. But most authors in tough times will find their sales dip or never even take off, especially if their books have been published during an economic downturn.
Luckily, even when they can’t afford to buy books, readers can give authors a helping hand by spreading the word about the books they’re looking forward to reading on social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and especially Goodreads. Ideally, avid readers could not only follow authors on Goodreads but buy all the books they want and post insightful, five-star reviews of every title they enjoy. For many readers, however, buying every book they want to read and posting reviews of them costs money and time they just can’t spare.
Turns out that simply selecting the Want to Read button on the Goodreads page of a book, even if the book hasn’t been published yet, can contribute to sales. This helps even if you eventually end up borrowing that book from a library or a friend and not buying an actual copy. According to Goodreads, data…
